TheMario & LuigiRPG franchise has been on indefinite hiatus ever since the developer behind it, AlphaDream, filed for bankruptcy in 2019. With the poor sales of its last entry,Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journeyon the Nintendo 3DS, promptingthe closure of AlphaDream, hopes for a new release have been dwindling. However, there are several studios Nintendo could tap to revive the franchise that would make great choices for this series of popular RPGs.
TheMario & Luigiseries has always put a unique twist on the turn-based JRPG genre, utilizing the iconic attacks of the Mario brothers to take down new foes in a variety of zany settings. The first game in the series,Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga,released in 2003 for the Game Boy Advance. It was followed byMario & Luigi: Partners in TimeandMario & Luigi: Bowser’s InsideStoryon the DS. The 3DS would also receive several entries includingMario & Luigi: Dream TeamandMario & Luigi: Paper Jam, as well as remakes ofSuperstar SagaandBowser’s Inside Story.
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Intelligent Systems
The obvious choice for a developer who could revive this series is Intelligent Systems, known for developing theFire Emblemseriesas well as the sister series toMario & Luigi,Paper Mario. While it has a strong pedigree for developing RPGs on its own, Intelligent System’s work on thePaper Marioseries makes it the most logical choice for a newMario & Luigigame given how similar their RPG mechanics are. The two have even crossed over withMario & Luigi: Paper Jam, giving the Mario and his flatter counterpart an even stronger connection.
Monolith Soft
Although typically known for developing large-scale, open-world RPGs, Monolith Soft has the chops to craft compelling, intimate, and complex stories and could offer a fresh take on theMario & Luigiseries. Its most recent work onXenoblade Chronicles 3shows that the team knows how to create an approachable yet deep combat system within a fleshed-out world. Monolith Soft has even aided in development for other Nintendo franchises includingSplatoon,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, andPikmin 3, giving it a sizable resume of Nintendo IPs to build upon.
Sora Ltd.
The studio behindSuper Smash Bros.might not seem like the first choice to revive an RPG franchise, but this wouldn’t be Sora Ltd.’s first time crafting a new entry in a dormant series. Under the direction of Masahiro Sakurai, Sora Ltd. was responsible for the first newKid Icarusgame in 25 years with the 3DS’Kid Icarus: Uprisingin 2012. With this fresh take on its gameplay sparking new interest in theKid Icarusseries, it would be great to see how Sora could revitalize the core RPG mechanics of aMario & Luigigame for Switch.
Bandai Namco Studios
Bandai Namco has had a strong working relationship with Nintendo over the years, contributing to the development of games likeSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate,Pokken Tournament, andNew Pokemon Snap. However, the company also has its own legacy of RPG development, being the studio responsible for theTalesseries - the most recent of which beingTales of Arisein 2021. With a successful series like that under its belt, Bandai Namco would a solid contender to join forces with Nintendo again to create a new entry in theMario & Luigiseries.
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